The Bumps of Selling On Line

Hello, My Friends!~~

I had dealt with some not so pleasant people in recent on-line sales. I need to vent in a public forum, as perhaps you may say "yes, I have had theis happen to me!" and may feel better after reading the following rants.

Here is story number one...

In early-December I sold some vintage Mercury glass beads on that big on-line auction site that will remain nameless but you all know which one I am speaking of. These beads were for crafting and described as vintage. I always invite potential biddders to ask me as many questions as they wish prior to bidding. The winnning bidder took about a week to pay after I sent the invoice, well past my requested 3 days for paymant. I mailed them promptly after payment. Soon after the bidder recieved the item, I got a nasty-gram from this person claiming the beads are chipped and faded and no use to anyone. OK, clearly this person has never seen vintage Mercury glass beads as none in my vast experience are perfect unless they are new reproduction beads. I wrote this disgrunteled gal back saying that she could send them back (even though I clearly stated no returns in my listings) as long as she did so within 7 days.

Twenty days passed and nothing arrived on my doorstep. Twenty-one days later I get an email from her saying she flies on an international crew and couldn't send them back. I told her that she could still send them back as long as she did so right away. Then I decided to play investigator and I checked that during the past twenty-one days, she bought MANY things on this on-line auction site. Clearly she had email access. Why didn't she email me and tell me about her delay in returnign the item? I wrote her again and told her this along with emphasizing that she get theese beads back to me right away or no refund AND that she needs to write me back and let me know that she got this email. Nothing. Three days later she writes a long note essentially letting me know that she put our transaction on the "back burner" and would it still be OK to send the beads back? She said it's my call.

OK. so I wrapped it up by telling her the following (in condensed form for this blog post): 1. being that she was active at the on-line auction site in the past 25 days since her complaint to me, I don't buy her excuses as to why she couldn't send a one-minute email letting me know that there will be a delay in returning the item. Being put on the "back burner" is essentially rude on her part (although I didn't call her that, but you know what I mean). AND 2: I will still let her make a return but I will not give her return postage or postage that she paid to originally have the item sent to her. At this point I don't feel I should be out of pocket on this transaction.

Whew! Glad I got that off my chest! Thanks for letting me do so. Would you like to see the item?

Aren't they lovely? And she got them for CHEAP! I was just de-stashing a little bit and this one came back to bite me in the butt. We'll see if I ever get them back.

NOW, here's a story, from another on-line selling site where I sell vintage goods for what I feel is cheap cheap cheap. This customer, who had never bought a single thing from me before, wrote a very NASTY note essentially telling me that I am a terrible person for not disclosing the exact condition of one item in a lot of six vintage pieces of ephemera that I was selling for $3.50. She ranted on saying that she would throw everything into "the garbage" as none of it was useful to her. And she wanted a partial refund. I gave here a partial refund but she then came back insisting that she get a full refund as she only wanted the one item of 6 in the lot. How is that my problem? If that one item was so important to her, why didn't she write and ask about its condition? After checking her info on-line I found out that she sells antiques and I's guessing that she expected to flip this one item for big bucks. Well, hey, this isn't my first rodeo and I checked on the value of this item before selling it for cheap. So after reading note after note from her condeming my selling style and how she would improve me in that areana, I finally refunded her all of the $3.50 and told her that her relationship with my on-line show was over. $50 worth of effort on her part for a $3.50 item--gimmie a break. BTW, I have over 3000 feedbacks on that site and she has a little over 400. Just sayin'

I love selling on-line, I do. But once in a while you deal with folks who just freak out and treat you like the second coming of Osama Bin Laden. Common courtesy was clearly lacking in both of these circumstances. I always want to make things better but I do get annoyed when buyers initially think I am the bad guy. Like I have nothing better to do with my life than make theirs miserable.

Thanks, my friends, for reading my rant. If you have similar stories please share. I will do my best to get back to you, but for some reason Typepad is blocking your emails and replying to you is not possible. Sigh...but please share your stories here. We can give each other a virtual hug. And I always appreciate to bits the 99.99999% of fabulous folks out there who appreciate my wares. Love you!~~~XXOO, Beth

Comments

[Meriw]

Well Typepad is really messed up, I had to sign in with Facebook to leave you this message. Anyhoo, I just want you to know, that as one of the 99.9999% I think you are awesome! You know I love your stuff, I might have put one of your kids through college....LOL

You are one of the best online vendors, and I have never been anything but 150% satisfied with my transactions with you. You've always got the best stuff, and most of what I buy from you either gets used in crafting, or ends up being a cherished goodie that I'm collecting for my eventual grandkids. Keep doin what yer doin missy, and I'm sorry there have to be a few bad apples in the bunch......but it's the same in regular life, too.

Love ya'
Meri

[Elizabeth Karsa]

As someone who has purchased from you in the past and who sells on both sites myself I want to say your experiences have been par for the course for MANY people I know.

I have gotten negative feedback 4 times and each times was 100% unwarranted.

2 people left me negative feedback when they had NOT even received the items yet (I had tracking) and when I fought Etsy on it they said they couldn't take the feedback off (how ridiculous is that!!!)
2 people left me negative feedback and their transaction was cancelled--they happened to leave feedback between the cancellation and when the transaction dissapeared off my page as being a sale. Etsy once again said there was nothing they could do about it EVEN though the sale no longer existed!!

I personally think Etsy's policies suck but that is me.

As far as 1 of my negatives with the tracking I wrote a blog post about him--posted his name, a photo from his Facebook (oh honey I am a Google master I can find ANYONE online!) and the city he lived in.

Word for word I typed out his emails to me and the facts of the situation.

Now--wouldn't ya know it but almost a year later he changed his negative feedback to positive, wrote to me on Etsy and apologized for acting the way he did and asked me to remove my blog post (which I did as well).

The best way to get seller's " revenge" is you print your side of the story on your blog with the person's name and i will guarantee that they will come to their senses! You have to love Google--because I know someone Googled that guy and saw what I wrote and it became an issue for him. Karma , baby, karma

[Jan Johnson]

I have purchased from you before and you were really prompt in shipping and the item was wrapped prefectly. I think you are wonderful, honest seller.

[Kimberly Kenward]

As a regular purchaser, I love your stuff. I love your prices. You are extremely prompt and always take the time to wrap things well. I will continue to buy, buy, buy!!

[Julie Welsh Oman]

Hi B - I am also "comment challenged" like Meri. As one of your frequent customers I don't get it - those of us who purchase from you often only get the BEST service ever. Good to rant but please know this is a couple of you know whats in a big pond of fans :)....Jewels

[Laurie]

I don't even know how many purchases I have made with you..but never a dud in the bunch. You always have great prices, fun stuff and quick as a wink shipping. Always a couple of crazy people to make waves..

[Cindyiscrafty.wordpress.com]

Here's one that I did on that first site you mentioned! I had an auction close last Saturday and give them the 7 days to pay (did you know there is not a site requirements as to how long they can take to pay?). At the end of the seven days I send the invoice again with a friendly reminder that it has been 7 days without payment and contact me blah, blah, blah. No contact and I have the seller assistant set to file an unpaid item grievance at day 10. It did and sent her the nasty "pay up deadbeat" (my wording) e-mail. She paid today and the reason she had not paid? She had a bid on another auction that ended this past Saturday. DOH, I completly missed that! I sent her a profuse apology. Of course, she bears a bit of the blame as she didn't send me a "Moron, I am bidding on another auction this week" email. :O)

[Miss Beets]

I would love to buy them!

My fav story is a lady in the United kingdom who bought a purse from me in Florida,United States...across the pond as they say... And left the following feedback..."this is not very green."

Think about it for a minute.......

Just sayin'

I went to a live event of that big online auction site and the speaker said you will get negative feedback,it is just stats. I know that does not help,but it ain't you it is people.

[Brian Smith]

I feel for you! Personally I like all of your auctions and I have purchased from you many times! Love everything!

I also sell on that BIG nameless site and I have over 1000 positive feedback. I used to be soooooo worried that I would get negative feedback that I was always overly cautious. But anymore ... I'm at the point that if I describe an item to the best of my ability and someone buys it and doesn't like it and then they start being difficult, then who cares!! These people can't get it through their thick skulls that they are buying USED and VINTAGE!! Hello!!! That means it ain't perfect!!

I sold some paperdolls to someone (who I later found out makes copies of all paperdolls she buys and sells them as reproductions). At any rate, she was basically YELLING at me via email because I quoted (mind you ... I said QUOTED her ... not CHARGED her) a high shipping price. I accidentally gave her the wrong shipping price because I figured it out online too quickly. She just would not stop! I could think of a nice choice word for her but I "minded my manners". These people should put their negative energies into something more important!

[Brian Smith]

By the way, the comment I just posted above should be under Mary Smith (not Brian Smith).

[Junqueygal.blogspot.com]

Oh - what bad memories this brings to mind! It never fails that the most horrible transactions and most demanding customers are always for the tiniest sales - which are clearly not worth your time in the long run! ((hugs)) I imagine this is how she always conducts herself... ugh!